This invention is related to a holder for supporting at least one dental abrasive disc so that it can be picked up by inserting the tip a drill head spindle through the central aperture in the disc.
Dental abrasive discs are only about 1/2 inch in diameter, and are composed of a thin, abrasive material. A disk is difficult to pick up with the user's fingers and to mount on the drill head spindle.
Dental tool dispensing devices are known in the prior art which, for example, permit a dentist to replace the burr in his drill while using only one hand for the procedure. Such a device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,416 which was issued Sep. 6, 1966 to Anthony Massa. Another dispensing holder for facilitating the insertion and removal of a dental burr is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,133 which was issued Jun. 24, 1969 to D. B. Hathaway and I. E. Henry.
A sanitary receptacle for holding broaches, burrs and various other articles is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,315 which was issued Feb. 14, 1928 to Frank L. Dailey.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,193,203 which was issued Aug. 1, 1916, to S. W. Taliaferro, discloses a magazine holder for dental abrasive discs.
U.S. Pat. No. 781,313 which was issued Jan. 31, 1905 to Jacob A. Thomas, discloses a dental disc package for supporting a stack of discs.
U.S. Patent No. 1,086,409 which was issued to J. J. Smith, discloses a shipping container for abrasive disks. The container has several circular, column-like compartments that are closed by a flat cover; apparently the cover is removable. The abrasive disks are stacked on holders that include upstanding rods adapted to extend through central holes in the disks. With the cover removed, the individual holders are lowered into the individual compartments or lifted out of the compartments. The shipping container can be used to display the abrasive disks at the point of sale.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,329 which was issued to David Knight on Oct. 7, 1980, discloses a stacking device for sanding discs used in paint shops. Presumably the patentee contemplates using the stacking device in automobile body repair facilities where automobiles are sanded prior to being repainted. The device disclosed in the patent comprises an upstanding cylindrical container mounted on a flat circular base, whereby a large number of circular sanding discs can be stacked for easy access by the mechanic equipped with a rotary sanding machine. The patentee indicates that by stacking the discs in the container, the discs are at least partially protected against the shop dust while being available as needed. Apparently the repairman can extract the uppermost disc in the stack from the container by moving a sanding wheel downwardly within the container so that its adhesive surface comes in contact with the exposed surface of the topmost sanding disc.
A principal aim of the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,329 is apparently to house a large number of sanding discs in a single stack so that the individual discs are shielded from shop dust while being available to the auto body repairman, as needed.